1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc film treating cassette employable for a disc film treating apparatus and more particularly to a disc film treating cassette which is used when, due to the current reduced demand for disc films, only a small number of disc films are treated for developing them and which can be used also as magazine for disc films to be treated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, a disc-shaped photographic film that is called disc film and has an outer diameter is dimensioned to about 6.5 cm and which is formed with a fitting hole having an inner diameter of about 1 cm at the central part and has a number of exposure portions for photographing arranged in the equally spaced relation in the area located adjacent to the periphery thereof has been developed to be in use in place of conventional strips of photographic films which have been used widely.
In connection with the development of disc films as mentioned above there were already made a variety of proposals as to treating apparatus, treating machines and associated devices usable for carrying out a series of so-called developing treatments for disc films ranging from developing to stabilizing as disclosed in, for instance U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,112,452, 4,112,453, 4,112,454 (British Pat. No. 1602492), U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,167,320, 4,178,091 and 4,252,430. However each of the above-noted prior inventions concerning apparatus, machine and device is made in compliance with the conventional treating process or system for treating a large number of photographic films at a highly increased operational efficiency. Accordingly, employment of the conventional treating process or system is not economically advantageous and has reduced practicability due to the current situation that an amount of consumption of disc films is at a low level.
In view of the fact as mentioned above, inventors who work with the assignee of the present application developed an apparatus for treating disc films as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,772, British Pat. No. 2122771 and German Pat. No. 3317814. This apparatus is so constructed that an improved treating unit for treating disc films is attached to a treating unit for treating conventional photosensitive material such as strip of photographic film, printing paper or the like in order to assure an increased economical effect. However, the apparatus of the prior inventions is based on the hitherto known technical concept that there is a necessity for a dark box which unavoidably has considerable operational inconvenience in the same way as the conventional treating apparatus for treating a large number of photosensitive material such as strip of photographic film, printing paper or the like. Accordingly, the apparatus has a problem as an apparatus for treating a small number of disc films from the viewpoint of economy. This means that not only the conventional apparatus and machines but also associated devices which are intended to be in use for treating a very small number of disc films have problems that there is a necessity for certain trained skill for handling them, there is still left bad operational economy and there is low practicability.
To obviate the foregoing problems the inventors of the present invention conducted a number of works for searching for the reasons why the problems took place. In consequence, they reached a conclusion that a series of developing treatments can be carried out even in a bright room by improving the disc film support means which is used for treating apparatus, machines and associated devices each of which is used for developing disc films.